As industry has been developed, the chemical burn patients are increasing at many factories using chemicals and even at home. The mechanisms of local tissue damage include the liquefaction necrosis caused by strong alkali, the dissolution of
lipids
caused by petroleum products, and the vesicle formation caused by the vesicant gases. The severity of tissue damage caused by the contact with chemicals is related to the concentration, the amount, and the duration of the exposure.
Authors reviewed medical records of 96 cases (100 spells) of chemical burn victims who visited the emergency room of Dong-Guk University Pohang hospital.
@ES The resuslts are as follows
@EN 1) The frequency of chemical burn cases have increased over several years.
2) Ninety-three cases 997 spells) of chemical burns occured in males, nad 75 cases (79 spells) wer ein the twenties and thirties.
3) The most common etiologic chemical was hydrofluoric acid (41%), followed by sulfuric acid (12%), alekali (10%), anhydrous phthalic acid (8%), hydrochloric acid (5%), others (19%), and unknown (5%).
4) Thirty-nine spells of burn cases occurred between 12:00 and 17:00 and 71 spells arrived at the hospital within 2 hours after the accident.
5) The most common cause was splashing chemicals, the most common site was the fingers, and the most common symptom was the pain.
6) The chemical burns were treated with simple burn dressing, but the hydroflouric acid burns were exceptionally treated with local injection of antidote (calcium gluconate).
In order to prevent the chemical burns, we should do the enviromental control, educate the workers engaged in the chemical industries, and let them wear protective clothes and gloves. It should also be stressed that the establishment of first aid
and
transfter system for chemical burn victims is necessary.
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